Bill Gibson was born in Coffs Harbour NSW in 1955. He moved to WA with his family in the mid-60s and he became addicted to surfing while living at Scarborough.
In 1969 he joined the Dolphins Surf Riders Club as a cadet at age 14 with Tom Blaxell (SWA Life Member), Trevor Kenyon, Jim McFarlane, Ray Nelmes, Kevin Merifield and a few other surfers that hung out at the White Sands pub in Scarborough.
Early 1970s Dolphins Surf Riders cadet Bill Gibson with single fin boards at Scarborough beach. Bill Gibson pic.1973 Bill with girlfriend Kaye at a friend’s weddingin Scarborough. Bill Gibson pic. Kaye Gibson is a painter and printmaker with a passionate interest in the natural environment.
Bill finished his Fitter and Machinist apprenticeship in 1974 and worked up north for six months before moving down south and getting a job with the Mineral Sands Mining Coy at Capel.
In September 1975 Bill married Kaye, his girlfriend from school at Caves House Yallingup and they settled in Margaret River.
1975 Bill with male wedding guests including the late Steve Fordham and Barry Young at Caves House Hotel Yallingup. Photo courtesy Bill Gibson
With a keen interest in competing, Bill first surfed in the WA State Titles around 1973 as a junior. He remembers Ian Cairns (SWA Life Member) being a bit older than him in the competitions. Bill competed in the shortboard events over the years with various results. Bill thrives on competition and has won one WA Longboard State Title in each division of the Over 40s, 45s, 50s, 60s & 65s (his contemporaries Bob Monkman (SWA Life Member) & Chris Fullston have won many of these events).
2015 Bill competing in longboard contest Yallingup. Photo Mick Marlin
Bill has represented WA at the National Titles in both short and longboarding events, making many finals and doing WA proud.
2002 Backdoor Billy at Oz Titles Lennox Heads NSW. 4th place Over 45 Mens div. Mick Marlin pic
Bill has made longstanding and outstanding contributions to the Margaret River Boardriders Club and the Indian Ocean Longboard Club and has been recognised with Life Membership to these organisations. At different points in history, the signature events of these two SW Clubs, the Margaret River Classic and the Yallingup Malibu Classic respectively, were at risk of becoming defunct. Bill could see a way and had the courage and determination to not only revive the events but used his skills to put the events and the clubs into a healthy financial state after just a few years under his direction. He saw the significance of ensuring the continuance of these events (and the clubs) for the culture and history of WA surfing at times when others could not. His good nature and can-do attitude are respected amongst the club members and the WA surfing community, and he still serves on the committees of these clubs from time to time.
Late 1970s Margaret River Boardriders club members Ken MacKenzie and Bill Gibson. Bill is holding his new Energy Surfboard made by Ken on his property at Margs. Photo Bill Gibson
In the mid-1980s Bill could see that WA surfing needed more exposure as the WA surf magazines of the time had folded and Tracks wasn’t covering much WA action, so Bill (32) and his mate Clive Slater (32) created ‘Ocean Express surfmagazine’ in Margaret River in November 1986. Clive Slater was a professional photographer and Bill Gibson did the editorial with input from local surfers. Thirteen editions of Ocean Express were published between 1986 and 1988. The covers of the magazine included Dave Macaulay (SWA Life Member), Mitch Thorson and Kenny Dann. Notably, this magazine published the results of all the WASRA State Title events, giving WA surfers the recognition and publicity, they deserved. Ocean Express also covered the first Margaret River Thriller, the event that SWA runs today as the Margaret River Pro on the World Surf League Championship Tour. The editorial of Ocean Express was important for the betterment of contest surfing on a major scale as it provided a space for discussion, hosting the viewpoints of the contest organisers and the concerns of the community.
1986 Ocean Express magazine Vol 1 collector’s issue. Image courtesy Bill Gibson. This Magazine cover is on display at The WA Surf Gallery.1988 Ocean Express Mag scoops media award. Image courtesy Busselton Margaret River Times.
2001 Cover Boy Bill Gibson surfing an Energy Surfboard at the Bluffin Australian Longboard magazine edition 18. Photo by Hilton Dawe.
Circa 2010 Bill conceived and ran the ‘Foamlust Surf Festival.’ In the early years the event was held at Bill’s ‘Cave of Dreams’ surfboard shed in Cowaramup. In 2013 Bill and the late John Dutton formed a partnership and started running the Foamlust Surf Festivals at the Margaret River Cultural Centre over the Easter Long Weekend. The public paid an entry fee to help cover running costs. The event evolved and grew over the years until it folded circa 2020. Program 2019 Foamlust Surf Expo.
2013 Foamlust Expo Margaret River Cultural Centre L-R Nev Hyman, Rob Conneeley & Bill. Photo by the late Loz Smith.
Bill builds short & long boards under his Sea Captain label in his ‘Cave of Dreams’ board shed at Cowaramup and test rides the equipment in Southwest and Northwest surf breaks with family and friends.
2017 Bill with his quiver of Sea Captain surfboards at the Bluff WA. Photo Mick Marlin.2017 Bill surfing the Bluff. Photo Mick Marlin2017 Bill surfing Turtles. Photo Mick Marlin
Bill is a respected WA surf historian with a collection of vintage surfboards and surf magazines. He also restores vintage surfboards and has been a curator at the WA Surf Gallery since its inception in 2017.
2020 Bill restoring vintage surfboards in his ‘Cave of Dreams’ Cowaramup. Bill Gibson pic.2022 Bill’s acceptance speech for WA Surf Gallery ‘Surf Culture award’ at the Australian Surf Awards held on the Gold Coast Qld. Photo Ric Chan L-R Mick Marlin (WA), award sponsor Zambrero representative, Jim King (WA) and commentators enjoying the entertainment.
Bill’s contribution to WA surfing and Surfing WA (WASRA/SWA) has been long and varied. He became a member of WASRA in the early 70s and after nearly 50 years is still an active member. He would be one of SWA’s members longest serving members! Bill is a visionary who acts to preserve and promote the culture and history of surfing in Western Australia and actively participates in the organised competition (SWA) and club structures while contributing in his own unique ways. In 2022 Bill was publicly recognised for his valuable contributions to surfing history, culture and lifestyle and was granted Life Membership to Surfing Western Australia.
2022 Surfing WA new Life Members Bill, Mick Marlin & Lizzie Nunn pointing to their names on SWA Honour Board. Photo Raeley Jones SWA.
Retirement hasn’t slowed Bill down, he is still fully committed to surfing and preserving WA surf history.
Many thanks to SWA’s Samantha Vanderford & Scott Trew for their research material and the photographers for sharing their photos.
Bill Gibson was born in Coffs Harbour NSW in 1955. He moved to WA with his family in the mid-60s and he became addicted to surfing while living at Scarborough.
In 1969 he joined the Dolphins Surf Riders Club as a cadet at age 14 with Tom Blaxell (SWA Life Member), Trevor Kenyon, Jim McFarlane, Ray Nelmes, Kevin Merifield and a few other surfers that hung out at the White Sands pub in Scarborough.
Kaye Gibson is a painter and printmaker with a passionate interest in the natural environment.
Bill finished his Fitter and Machinist apprenticeship in 1974 and worked up north for six months before moving down south and getting a job with the Mineral Sands Mining Coy at Capel.
In September 1975 Bill married Kaye, his girlfriend from school at Caves House Yallingup and they settled in Margaret River.
With a keen interest in competing, Bill first surfed in the WA State Titles around 1973 as a junior. He remembers Ian Cairns (SWA Life Member) being a bit older than him in the competitions. Bill competed in the shortboard events over the years with various results. Bill thrives on competition and has won one WA Longboard State Title in each division of the Over 40s, 45s, 50s, 60s & 65s (his contemporaries Bob Monkman (SWA Life Member) & Chris Fullston have won many of these events).
Bill has represented WA at the National Titles in both short and longboarding events, making many finals and doing WA proud.
Bill has made longstanding and outstanding contributions to the Margaret River Boardriders Club and the Indian Ocean Longboard Club and has been recognised with Life Membership to these organisations. At different points in history, the signature events of these two SW Clubs, the Margaret River Classic and the Yallingup Malibu Classic respectively, were at risk of becoming defunct. Bill could see a way and had the courage and determination to not only revive the events but used his skills to put the events and the clubs into a healthy financial state after just a few years under his direction. He saw the significance of ensuring the continuance of these events (and the clubs) for the culture and history of WA surfing at times when others could not. His good nature and can-do attitude are respected amongst the club members and the WA surfing community, and he still serves on the committees of these clubs from time to time.
In the mid-1980s Bill could see that WA surfing needed more exposure as the WA surf magazines of the time had folded and Tracks wasn’t covering much WA action, so Bill (32) and his mate Clive Slater (32) created ‘Ocean Express surf magazine’ in Margaret River in November 1986. Clive Slater was a professional photographer and Bill Gibson did the editorial with input from local surfers. Thirteen editions of Ocean Express were published between 1986 and 1988. The covers of the magazine included Dave Macaulay (SWA Life Member), Mitch Thorson and Kenny Dann. Notably, this magazine published the results of all the WASRA State Title events, giving WA surfers the recognition and publicity, they deserved. Ocean Express also covered the first Margaret River Thriller, the event that SWA runs today as the Margaret River Pro on the World Surf League Championship Tour. The editorial of Ocean Express was important for the betterment of contest surfing on a major scale as it provided a space for discussion, hosting the viewpoints of the contest organisers and the concerns of the community.
This Magazine cover is on display at The WA Surf Gallery.
2001 Cover Boy Bill Gibson surfing an Energy Surfboard at the Bluff in Australian Longboard magazine edition 18. Photo by Hilton Dawe.
Circa 2010 Bill conceived and ran the ‘Foamlust Surf Festival.’ In the early years the event was held at Bill’s ‘Cave of Dreams’ surfboard shed in Cowaramup. In 2013 Bill and the late John Dutton formed a partnership and started running the Foamlust Surf Festivals at the Margaret River Cultural Centre over the Easter Long Weekend. The public paid an entry fee to help cover running costs. The event evolved and grew over the years until it folded circa 2020. Program 2019 Foamlust Surf Expo.
Bill builds short & long boards under his Sea Captain label in his ‘Cave of Dreams’ board shed at Cowaramup and test rides the equipment in Southwest and Northwest surf breaks with family and friends.
Bill is a respected WA surf historian with a collection of vintage surfboards and surf magazines. He also restores vintage surfboards and has been a curator at the WA Surf Gallery since its inception in 2017.
L-R Mick Marlin (WA), award sponsor Zambrero representative, Jim King (WA) and commentators enjoying the entertainment.
Bill’s contribution to WA surfing and Surfing WA (WASRA/SWA) has been long and varied. He became a member of WASRA in the early 70s and after nearly 50 years is still an active member. He would be one of SWA’s members longest serving members! Bill is a visionary who acts to preserve and promote the culture and history of surfing in Western Australia and actively participates in the organised competition (SWA) and club structures while contributing in his own unique ways. In 2022 Bill was publicly recognised for his valuable contributions to surfing history, culture and lifestyle and was granted Life Membership to Surfing Western Australia.
Retirement hasn’t slowed Bill down, he is still fully committed to surfing and preserving WA surf history.
Many thanks to SWA’s Samantha Vanderford & Scott Trew for their research material and the photographers for sharing their photos.
Related content
Bill Gibson’s surfing life. Part 1. 1955-1975 posted 16 May 2018
2013 Foamlust Surf Festival at Margaret River posted 28 August 2019
1988 Ocean Express surf magazine scoops top media award posted 4 February 2023
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